Arachne

 

I stare in utter confusion at her.

 

"A-Arachne?" (N)

"Yes, do you know what the term Arachne is referring to?" (T)

"No, I'm sorry." (N)

"Hmm, that's surprising. I thought the term was well known. It refers to a kind of monster. You know about monsters, right? Giant bears, bothersome wolves, goblins, and so on?" (T)

"Y-yes, I know what monsters are, but why are you asking me this?" (N)

"You know, an Arachne is, as you might've guessed by now, a kind of monster, one based on spiders. You could say that it's a very big one." (T)

"A-and what has this to do with me?" (N)

"Oh, very much. What would you say if I tell you that I am a very big spider?" (T)

 

Failing to process what she just said I stare at her.

 

"What... What are you saying? I mean..." (N)

"It's a not so well known fact that an Arachne can look almost human. Your sisters are the same, by the way. If you decide to join the family that is." (T)

 

I continue to stare, but my look turns more and more into horror.
I squirm back, only to tumble off the stool once again.

 

"Are you alright? As I said, there could be some issues for you." (T)

 

I can't calm down.

The way she says it so seriously I know that it must be the truth.
She doesn't seem like the type to joke around like this.
So I form a question, quivering and with tears in my eyes.

 

"A-a-are y-you g-g-going to e-eat m-me?" (N)

"Keke... Why would I bother with such a talk if that would be the case? As I said, there is no trap. You are absolutely welcome here." (T)

"But why? Why you would take in a human? I don't understand!" (N)

"Why don't we say that I have a soft spot for cute little orphans? And the others were rather determined. So I couldn't say all that much as their big sister." (T)

 

I still stare, almost disabled by the shock.
And what is this about these "others"?

 

"Just as promised we would provide for you for the time being, without a need of contribution from your side for the close future. By the way, do you want to see?" (T)

"See?" (N)

"How I look. Otherwise this discussion stays weirdly abstract and we are just talking about unconfirmed possibilities, if you understand." (T)

 

No!!!
I don't want to see what a giant spider monster looks like!
This is scary!
And my face tells the same.

 

"You know, if it works better for you I can only partly transform. As long as you think you can endure this. Yet I would suggest you get used to this, sooner rather than later." (T)

 

Why is she going out of her way like this?
But now I definitely want to avoid earning her ire.
I can't have a huge spider being angry at me.
I am almost stiff, but I managed a squeak and maybe a nod.

 

"I’ll take that as a 'yes'. Good. Then look closely." (T)

 

I can't process what happens next.
In a blink eight limbs pierce out from her back, her eyes wholly turn as black as the void and her mouth grows fangs.
The appendages that can just be giant spider legs are reaching each end of the room.
Black, thick, and threatening, some support Talisa’s correspondingly small frame while the rest stretch into the air.

I cannot breathe, my body won't do anything but tremble, while my eyes fill with tears and maybe I peed myself.
And as fast as it happened it's over.
The legs retract back inside Talisa's back and her looks go back to normal.

 

"And? Was it as you expected?" (T)

 

I can't speak and just stare in paralyzing terror.

 

"You are a worse case than I thought. There could be problems for you to live here." (T)

 

How does she think this shall work?
Even without taking my fear into account, how am I supposed to live here?

 

"H-h-h-how d-d-do y-you think y-you can pro-provide f-for m-me?" (N)

"We provide food, shelter, a place to sleep, clothes, I think this is very generous." (T)

 

It is if you think about it and if she really means it.
Especially, for someone like me, who has no other way to survive.

But I can't do this!
Living with monster versions of the creatures I fear the most!
How could this be possible?

 

"H-how could I live here? Humans don't even eat the same stuff as you, right?" (N)

"We eat mostly this liquid you had earlier. That wasn't so bad, right?" (T)

 

It wasn't.
Honestly, it tasted good.
But what was it?

 

"Y-yes I think that is okay, b-but what is it made of? Some kind of milk?

"Keke... Do you really want to know? You mentioned you were chased before we found you, right? Those men sounded awful. Do you really want to go back out to them as an alternative?" (T)

 

Immediately I feel dread.
Thinking about those men, what they did to my family, what they will do to me if they find me.
And I quiver.

 

"Don't worry. They can't do anything to you here. In fact, the one who chased you will never do anything to you ever again." (T)

"R-really? You will even protect me?" (N)

"That too. But I meant that he won't do anything to you, because you just drank the last bit of liquid we could squeeze out of him." (T)

 

She smiles at me.
A completely honest, friendly smile that shows affection and vows all her words to be true.
And this makes it just so much more terrifying.

The urge to vomit rises but instantly goes into nothing, due to the fact that my stomach is almost empty and I continue to be hungry.
Still, I try to scrape it out of my throat but stop when I notice that these nails are dangerously sharp.

 

"Just for you we are sharing our provisions. This soup of liquified organs from our prey is the normal meal for us." (T)

 

This is the normal food?
So this is what they will provide?

 

"And it looked like you liked it." (T)

 

What scares me the most is that she's right.
It tasted sweet, like milk with honey or something like this, but still different.
Like something you can drink without ever getting tired of it.

 

"But it shouldn't taste like this! W-why would organs taste sweet? You couldn't have changed it this much." (N)

"Don't take this as a breach of trust, but maybe there is a slight catch to my offer." (T)

 

My panic intensifies and I don't want to know what she might tell me from the sound of it.

 

"Here take this. This belonged to your chaser." (T)

 

She hands me a knife, but from what I have seen before it wouldn't even count as a weapon against her.

 

"W-what do y-you want me to do?" (N)

 

I ask anxiously.

 

"This is something you should learn by self-confirmation. I want you to try to cut a tiny bit of your hair. Well, you could also use your nails, but I suppose a familiar tool will better serve the purpose." (T)

 

Her look stays serious, despite this ridiculous request.
I still look questioningly at her.

 

"Go on." (T)

 

Pressed like this I do so.
I lay the sawing part of the blade against my hair which has this new weird color and rip the blade.
Yet when I try to cut the strands I chose they stay firm.
I increase my effort, but the hair is simply not cuttable.
Even after I reduce the number of strands, the resistance is still unbelievable.

In the end, I take one single hair and hold it tight.
Then I use all my strength and with excessive sawing with the serrated blade and great effort it gives in, while I slump down exhausted.
Heavily breathing I ask:

 

"What... was this? This isn't... normal! Why is it... so resilient?" (N)

"I wonder? But if you want to have confirmation, why don't you try to draw a tiny bit of blood? Not much; a drop is enough." (T)

 

Her voice indicates that she doesn't wonder at all.
But should I really cut myself?

And what will happen?
Will it be like the hair?
This pale skin?
I want to know and she won't tell me.

I feel pain when the blade meets the skin of my arm.
But no blood comes and I can't pierce it with the knife.
I haven't applied any force to cut myself, but it shouldn't be so hard to break through.
Yet this is too strange.

And I want to know why this is so.
So I push harder.
I know the skin gets scraped, but as a whole, it stays resilient.

Finally, I can pierce a bit and manage to draw liquid.

I stare in shock.
The tiny hole leaks a white, thick substance.
Maybe my blood is somewhere else and this is some different fluid?
I try to cut some more, but it still won't give in.
But what disturbs me the most is what prevents me from going any further.
Right now I noticed strings beneath my skin.
They are everywhere!
Not just some, but a whole wall of white strands.

I try to catch one and pull it out, but it is as sturdy as my hair.
I can manage to raise it a bit, but stay unable to hold it with the blade.
When I let go the string slings back and threads itself into this web beneath my skin.

 

"WHY ARE THERE STRINGS!!!" (N)

 

This is crazy!

 

"And why is my blood white!?!" (N)

 

I know this is my blood!
But this isn't my blood!

 

"I wonder?" (T)

"No, you don't wonder! You know exactly what is going on! Tell me!!! (N)

 

I have no idea what this means.
What is she playing at?

 

"I don't think you want to know this, especially with your arachnophobia." (T)

"You knew exactly what I would see! Now tell me!!! (N)

 

I grow desperate and panic grasps me.

 

"Please!" (N)

 

I start to sob and can't control the flow of tears anymore.

 

"You shouldn't cry so much. It was an arduous task to etch the stone table into its current form and you could ruin it with your tears. They are extremely acidic." (T)

"Acid?!" (N)

"Yes, quite a strong one. So be careful." (T)

"Please, just tell me what is wrong with me." (N)

"Nothing; really! You're maybe a little malnourished, but we will feed you." (T)

"I need to know, please!" (N)

"Fine, it's very simple." (T)

 

She circles the table and leans over to me until she is too close to be comfortable.
Her breath meets my skin and I start to feel like I'm a fly in her web.
A very ironic viewpoint if you consider what she is.
Her exhalation vibrates in my ear, but what makes me lose it is what it carries.

 

"You are an Arachne, my dear." (T)